Corrosion analysis of Al-Ce-Ni and Al-Cu-Ce cast alloys in dilute boric acid at room and elevated temperatures

Jiheon Jun; Seungjin Nam; Yi Feng Su; Michael J. Thompson; Ryan T. Ott; David Weiss; Michael S. Kesler

doi:10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368

Corrosion analysis of Al-Ce-Ni and Al-Cu-Ce cast alloys in dilute boric acid at room and elevated temperatures

Jiheon Jun
, Seungjin Nam
, Yi Feng Su
, Michael J. Thompson
, Ryan T. Ott
, David Weiss
, Michael S. Kesler

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Two Al-Ce-Ni cast alloys, and an Al-Cu-Ce cast alloy, as candidate wet storage materials for spent nuclear fuels, were tested in 0.23 wt% H₃BO₃ solution to assess the alloy corrosion resistance. Electrochemical and gravimetric corrosion data suggest that the three Al alloys are unlikely to undergo any severe corrosion in dilute H₃BO₃ at or below 50 °C. Post-exposure characterization of the three Al alloys, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy, revealed a corrosion product layer, mostly Al₂O₃, on the exposed surface and local penetration of oxygen into the alloy matrix. The degree of oxide layer growth and oxygen penetration is greater at 80 °C than the temperature at/below 50 °C. The Al-Cu-Ce alloy is considered less corrosion resistant than the other two alloys studied.

Original language	English
Article number	114368
Journal	Materials Today Communications
Volume	49
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368
State	Published - Dec 2025

Funding

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Materials Manufacturing Technologies Office. Sunyong Kwon and Severine Cambier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory provided helpful comments on the manuscript. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05–00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Keywords

Al-Ce alloy
Boric acid
Cast aluminum
Corrosion rate
Spent nuclear fuel

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10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368

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title = "Corrosion analysis of Al-Ce-Ni and Al-Cu-Ce cast alloys in dilute boric acid at room and elevated temperatures",

abstract = "Two Al-Ce-Ni cast alloys, and an Al-Cu-Ce cast alloy, as candidate wet storage materials for spent nuclear fuels, were tested in 0.23 wt\% H3BO3 solution to assess the alloy corrosion resistance. Electrochemical and gravimetric corrosion data suggest that the three Al alloys are unlikely to undergo any severe corrosion in dilute H3BO3 at or below 50 °C. Post-exposure characterization of the three Al alloys, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy, revealed a corrosion product layer, mostly Al2O3, on the exposed surface and local penetration of oxygen into the alloy matrix. The degree of oxide layer growth and oxygen penetration is greater at 80 °C than the temperature at/below 50 °C. The Al-Cu-Ce alloy is considered less corrosion resistant than the other two alloys studied.",

keywords = "Al-Ce alloy, Boric acid, Cast aluminum, Corrosion rate, Spent nuclear fuel",

author = "Jiheon Jun and Seungjin Nam and Su, \{Yi Feng\} and Thompson, \{Michael J.\} and Ott, \{Ryan T.\} and David Weiss and Kesler, \{Michael S.\}",

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year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368",

language = "English",

volume = "49",

journal = "Materials Today Communications",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Corrosion analysis of Al-Ce-Ni and Al-Cu-Ce cast alloys in dilute boric acid at room and elevated temperatures

AU - Jun, Jiheon

AU - Nam, Seungjin

AU - Su, Yi Feng

AU - Thompson, Michael J.

AU - Ott, Ryan T.

AU - Weiss, David

AU - Kesler, Michael S.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Two Al-Ce-Ni cast alloys, and an Al-Cu-Ce cast alloy, as candidate wet storage materials for spent nuclear fuels, were tested in 0.23 wt% H3BO3 solution to assess the alloy corrosion resistance. Electrochemical and gravimetric corrosion data suggest that the three Al alloys are unlikely to undergo any severe corrosion in dilute H3BO3 at or below 50 °C. Post-exposure characterization of the three Al alloys, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy, revealed a corrosion product layer, mostly Al2O3, on the exposed surface and local penetration of oxygen into the alloy matrix. The degree of oxide layer growth and oxygen penetration is greater at 80 °C than the temperature at/below 50 °C. The Al-Cu-Ce alloy is considered less corrosion resistant than the other two alloys studied.

AB - Two Al-Ce-Ni cast alloys, and an Al-Cu-Ce cast alloy, as candidate wet storage materials for spent nuclear fuels, were tested in 0.23 wt% H3BO3 solution to assess the alloy corrosion resistance. Electrochemical and gravimetric corrosion data suggest that the three Al alloys are unlikely to undergo any severe corrosion in dilute H3BO3 at or below 50 °C. Post-exposure characterization of the three Al alloys, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy, revealed a corrosion product layer, mostly Al2O3, on the exposed surface and local penetration of oxygen into the alloy matrix. The degree of oxide layer growth and oxygen penetration is greater at 80 °C than the temperature at/below 50 °C. The Al-Cu-Ce alloy is considered less corrosion resistant than the other two alloys studied.

KW - Al-Ce alloy

KW - Boric acid

KW - Cast aluminum

KW - Corrosion rate

KW - Spent nuclear fuel

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022830059

U2 - 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368

DO - 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114368

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105022830059

SN - 2352-4928

VL - 49

JO - Materials Today Communications

JF - Materials Today Communications

M1 - 114368

ER -

Corrosion analysis of Al-Ce-Ni and Al-Cu-Ce cast alloys in dilute boric acid at room and elevated temperatures

Abstract

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Keywords

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